For the first time on St. John, the V.I. Police Department is offering its gun buy back program.
“I am asking all St. John residents to participate in this program, get some extra cash, and rid St. John of all the deadly weapons. This is your opportunity to make a difference,” Deputy Police Chief Darren Foy said.
The gun buy back program will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Oppenheimer Pavilion at Hawksnest Bay (this section of Hawksnest Beach is east of the main beach).
No questions will be asked of the person turning in the firearm.
People with illegal firearms in their possession can turn them in under this amnesty program, and they will be paid top dollar based on the blue book value of the firearm.
Those planning to turn in a firearm should place the weapon in a bag and put it in the trunk of your car. Those unfamiliar with firearms should not try to unload or tamper with the weapon in any way.
There will also be amnesty granted for persons traveling with firearms to the program location as long as they travel a direct route from their home to the drop off point.
Once individuals arrive at the site, an officer will take possession of the firearm and hand it over to a firearms examiner and a property officer, who will inspect the weapon and determine the amount of money that will be paid.
This will be the third gun buy back program in the Virgin Islands this year. The program has been held successfully on St. Thomas and St. Croix, and thousands of dollars was paid for firearms turned in.
The cash for guns program in the St. Thomas/St. John district was made possible by an anonymous St. Thomas donor and a donation from the Westin St. John Resort and Villas. The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands is acting as third-party fiduciary.
